As Omar Sharif cemented his status as a Hollywood great in Lawrence of Arabia, there was no mistaking the passion in his performance.

The Egyptian heartthrob sent pulses racing in cinemas as he shared the screen with rakish actor Peter O’Toole.

But according to Omar’s grandson, Omar Sharif Junior, there were far more passionate performances going on away from the cameras throughout the epic’s shoot.

The two stars became firm friends and after wrapping scenes they would disappear into the drinking dens of Beirut – or retire to hotel rooms where their bathtubs were filled with champagne and women.

And far from frowning on their antics, director David Lean would actually fly beauties in for them.

The story is one of many stunning new insights Omar Junior is now sharing.

He says: “Peter O’Toole and my grandfather remained very close friends. They were always sharing stories and reminiscing. And Peter told me all about what trouble they got in out there.

Omar Sharif Junior with his grandad

“He told me about who was flown in to pleasure whom. They were filming in the Jordanian desert for 18 months so that’s what David Lean prepared for them.

“He either flew the women in or flew them out for their weekends.

“I’ve heard a million of these tales. Though I love hearing them about other people, you don’t really want to hear about your grandad’s sex life. But he was always very open when it came to sharing them.”

Sharif and O'Toole on screen (Image: Getty Images)

Omar, who died in 2015, was born in Alexandria to a Catholic father in 1932 and sent to a British school in Egypt because he was fat.

His mum thought the food would be so bad he would starve himself and shed the pounds.

Omar studied maths at the city’s university before going to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and converted to Islam in 1955 to marry Egyptian actress Faten Hamama. They had son Tarek, Omar Junior’s dad, in 1957.

Omar called Julie Christie 'The Sandwich Girl' (Image: Popperfoto)

Omar had been acting for seven years when Lean picked him, based entirely on his looks, to play Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia, released in 1962.

The role earned him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe and made him one of the biggest leading men in Tinseltown.

Faten had been his wife for six years when filming on the epic started – and Omar Junior, 33, said he never asked what she knew of his escapades.

Christie kisses Omar in a scene from the film Doctor Zhivago (Image: Gett​y Images)

Omar Junior says: “My grandfather told me he’d come from Egypt and had never seen a sandwich before. But Julie would just pull them out of everywhere. He was like, ‘Where are these coming from?’.

“Between virtually every take she’d pull one of these sandwiches out. Then she’d have crumbs all over herself and when it came time to kiss her, she’d have this sandwich breath. She was gorgeous but he’d say, ‘What’s with this sandwich girl?’. That’s what he called her, the Sandwich Girl.”

But it was a very different story when Omar, recently split from Faten, starred with Barbra Streisand in 1968’s Funny Girl.

Their four-month affair sparked fury in Egypt as Streisand was Jewish and also pro-Isreal. Funny Girl was banned in several Arab nations. The actor once dismissed the romance as lust but Omar Junior says: “He really loved her. He spoke so fondly of her.”

Omar Junior reveals that, when he was old enough, his grandad gave him tips on sex. It was one of two areas in which he was an expert – the other being contact bridge.

“He was the one who first talked to me about the Birds and the Bees,” says Omar Junior. “He told me making love was like playing bridge, you either need an incredible partner or a really good hand.”

Barbra Streisand and Omar Sharif in Funny Girl (Image: Mirrorpix)

Unfortunately, when it came to cards Omar didn’t always have a good hand and reportedly lost millions. Legend has it he blew nine months’ wages in a single night.

As a result, he was forced to make some second-rate films in later life just for the pay, including comedies like 1976’s The Pink Panther Strikes Again and 1984’s Top Secret. “Everything, all of that, was all true,” says Omar Junior.

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“But nobody’s perfect and we all have flaws. Sometimes there are consequences but he liked to live life to fullest. He certainly lived it, that’s for sure.”

As Omar’s career waned, so did his health. He had a triple heart bypass in 1992 and a mild heart attack in 1994, which forced him to quit his 100-a-day smoking habit. He was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s when died of a heart attack on July 10, 2015, aged 83.

Despite the ravages of the degenerative condition, memories of his classic films had given him comfort. “Funnily enough, it was those golden memories from 50 years ago that stayed,” says Omar Junior.

“He’d repeat something he’d just said over and over. But then he’d bring up one of these memories of filming Lawrence of Arabia.

“It was so difficult seeing him like that. He was always the life of the party.”

The actor once lost nine months' wages in one night at the card table (Image: Getty Images)

One of Omar Junior’s earliest memories is his 4th birthday party at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montreal, where his grandad was staying. “He ordered two banana cream pies,” he says. “As soon as he sang Happy Birthday, he took one and shoved it in my face. Then he nodded and I picked up the other pie and shoved it in his face.”

As he looks back, Omar Junior – the youngest of his three grandsons – cherishes the bond they had and realises he played a huge role in shaping the man he is today. When he said he wanted to follow his grandfather into acting, the family disapproved. And crucially, Omar refused to help him – forcing him to succeed by himself.

He says Omar told him: “I gave you my name, I gave you my looks. I’m not going to give you anything else. You have to do it entirely on your own.”

And when Omar Junior, by then a well-known actor and model in Egypt, came out in 2012, his grandad – a Muslim still living in a devoutly religious country – could have reacted badly. But Omar’s experiences in Hollywood had changed his world view and he gave his grandson the total support he needed.

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“He told me you can’t be successful in Hollywood if you’re not OK with Jews and homosexuals,” says Omar Junior, laughing.

“He had a good amount of exposure to both after leaving Egypt.”

However, a string of death threats forced him to flee to Canada – the home country of his Jewish mum, Debbie. “I had suicidal thoughts,” Omar Junior admits.

But as his profile rose Omar Junior, now based in New York, rebuilt his confidence and beat his haters. British gay magazine Attitude recognised his courage by giving him an Inspiration Award last October.

Omar Junior says: “My grandfather always fought for tolerance and tried to use his work as a platform to speak about these important issues. So he’d be proud to see me doing the same."